Cole's Famous Taco Dip for the Busy Writer

Oh, you guys. What a crazy couple of months I've had. First, I had bronchitis for FOREVER! But, seriously, it was five weeks straight. And then, because of said bronchitis, I cracked my rib while coughing, had a book release, several conferences to attend, another book release, several author events, a massive hail storm with damage to my cars and house, a sick child...and the list goes on and on forever. And the list will continue to go on and on forever because this is life and, hey, it's not going to slow down, right?

Because of this, I'm going to let you in on my top secret taco dip recipe. (All right, it may not be TOP SECRET, but it is delicious and will be devoured quickly.) What I love about this recipe is that it is the perfect dish for the harried writer to throw together when decorum demands they bring a dish to the potluck, birthday party, graduation, picnic, whatever they've been invited to. Seriously, you can slap this baby together in less than twenty minutes (the kiddos have a blast sprinkling on the cheese) and it will be devoured, so you don't have to worry about leftovers chillin' in your fridge and collecting mold along with the pizza from a month ago. (Please tell me I'm not the only one.) But I digress...

Cole's Not-so Famous (But Delicious!) Taco Dip 

Ingredients:
1 Package Cream Cheese
1 Small Tub Sour Cream
1 Packet Taco Seasoning
1 Can Refried Beans
1 Jar Salsa
1 Package Shredded Lettuce
1 Package Shredded Cheddar
Optional Ingredients: Guacamole, Olives, Diced Tomatoes, Jalapenos

1. Take a cookie sheet and spread the beans along the bottom with a spatula

2. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning until smooth. Next, spread in a layer on top of the beans.

3. Spread a thin layer of salsa on top of the sour cream/cream cheese mixture.

4. Sprinkle the layers with shredded lettuce until covered and top with shredded cheese.

5. Last, add any additional toppings according to taste (olives, diced tomatoes, etc.)

6. Bring to party, pretend you slaved over it, watch it be devoured with tortilla chips, and enjoy a margarita. Oh, and try not to think too hard about those edits you're supposed to be working on.

Oh, and some people go as far as to heat their dip up before serving so the cheese is all gooey. But really, who has that kind of time?